Shipwreck Discovered in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: Star of the Sea foundered in 1911

July 2, 2024

A new shipwreck has been identified in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, thanks to the help of 18 instructors and advocates from the nonprofit organization Diving With a Purpose, who joined NOAA researchers to document the site at French Reef off of Key Largo.

a scuba diver photographs a large, cylindrical object on the seafloor — This boiler is a feature that helped narrow the identification of the wreck to *Star of the Sea*. Photo: Brenda Altmeier/NOAA

Gayle Patrick, an architect by trade, will create a final sitemap of the wreck area from individual sketches. Photo: Brenda Altmeier/NOAA

The four-masted Star of the Sea was carrying lumber from Pensacola, Florida when it grounded at French Reef in the Florida Keys in October 1911. Using historical records, sanctuary researchers identified the names of almost a dozen ships that wrecked on French Reef in the 19th and 20th centuries, corresponding with the general time frame of artifacts found there. Detailed recording by the Diving With a Purpose team revealed several artifacts, including the remains of rigging and a steam boiler, which most closely matched what would be found on a large schooner. The only vessel of this kind lost at French Reef was Star of the Sea, which was built in Bath, Maine in 1887, and was originally named Katie J. Barrett.

"The wreck is largely unknown to the current Keys community," said Sanctuary Maritime Archaeologist Matthew Lawrence. "It's not in a spot where most people dive, snorkel, or fish, even though it is easily accessible. It's great to bring an unknown story back to life, with a touchstone like a shipwreck to give it physical presence."

Two people standing in a room holding transect tape while taking measurements of fake shipwreck debris on the ground — Diving With a Purpose members practiced taking measurements of a mock wreck site on land before going into the field. Photo: Brenda Altmeier/NOAA

two scuba divers observe and record data about shipwreck artifacts on the seafloor that are marked by yellow flags — The team took hundreds of measurements on the Key Largo site. Photo: Matthew Lawrence/NOAA

Divers working the wreck came to the Florida Keys from as far away as South Africa for the week-long activity, which began with extensive land-based training. The Diving With a Purpose team was half composed of instructors or instructors in training who had experience in underwater mapping, while the other half had never done this kind of work before. Divers were divided into teams assigned to a specific section of the shipwreck, making dozens of sketches and hundreds of measurements that will soon produce a detailed, site map drawing (stay tuned to the Florida Keys shipwrecks page).

The wreck site, scattered across 250 feet in 20 feet of water, has also been digitized into a 3D model from more than 2,500 individual images. The shipwreck is one of more than 800 historical sites located within sanctuary waters. It is nicknamed the "Cable Wreck" due to the snarled pile of wire rope rigging at the site.

Photo: Diving With a Purpose

Diving With a Purpose is a long-time partner of the National Marine Sanctuary System. Congratulations and thank you to the team that worked on the mapping project for Star of the Sea!

One of the goals of the National Marine Sanctuary System is to provide opportunities for people to learn about our nation's maritime heritage through experiencing it themselves. Historical sites within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are open to diving and snorkeling. Please help conserve our maritime heritage and do not damage or remove historical resources. If you discover a historical resource within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, do not disturb it. Instead, make note of where you found it and then provide this information to sanctuary staff. Be a good steward; take only pictures and leave only bubbles. Learn more about responsible diving practices here.